The Rise: Where Neighbors Are Sometimes More

by Chantal Ellen

Exploring issues of self-esteem, family discord, sisterhood, faith, and subtle discrimination in the workplace, this novel is not just an upscale urban tale for the black professional but an absorbing story for all readers. Following the life of the young, beautiful attorney Remi as she seeks Mr. Right, her life and the lives of her neighbors in an apartment building nicknamed The Rise intertwine against the backdrop of Washington, DC. Lies, heartache, and broken bonds abound, challenging the characters to go beyond the superficial in life's journeys.

257 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Rise is a real page turner and I found myself unable to put it down. It was refreshing to see so many familiar landmarks about Washington, DC as well as the educated and ambitious black people that were the feature characters. Here's the spoiler: my criticisms of the book are that while the characters were ambitious, their personalities and self-perception of themselves and one another was discouraging. There was too much emphasis on being thin, and beautiful. Pretty much all of the female characters were weak-willed air-heads who gave too much, acted too desperate and remained in bad relationships too long. The only women who displayed strength - Charissa and Keisha - became a break from the monotonous rants of the others. While I didn't like some of Keisha's actions, I truly admired her strength and tenacity when it came to her education. The book also paints black men as sex-crazed, disrespectful specimens. All of the characters referred to women as body parts and I only saw slight glimpses of true honor and respect for the women in their lives. Not to mention, all of the main characters lied and cheated, saving their dedication for their careers and the basketball court. The 2 male characters who appeared to remain faithful - Paul & Joshua - were described as weak and too nice. While the other characters who routinely used foul language and harped on women as body parts, where described as somehow having courage, vigor and strength. Yes, there are men out there who act in this manner, but the ones who describe a woman's beauty from the inside out, and are committed to one woman are stronger, more brave, more masculine and so much more of a turn-on. And while the book was a great read, I sorely missed this type of representation of our black men. I hope the author writes a sequel and reveals how time and maturity makes a world of difference in the lives of these characters that I (for better or worse) came to enjoy.

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I will start reading this book tonight because a friend of mine knows the author. The story takes place in Silver Spring.